NEW DELHI- America seems to have gained the upper hand over Israel and other exporters as it is now promising to not only "co-produce" the third-generation Javelin ATGMs, but also "co-develop" its
fourth-generation version.
"This is an unprecedented offer that we have made only to India, and no one else," said visiting US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel, a day after hard-selling joint development and production of advanced weapon systems to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
There are already over a dozen such proposals from the U.S. on the table, ranging from the Javelin, MH-60 Romeo multirole helicopters and "big data cybersecurity" to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), mine-scattering systems and warship guns, which will now be taken forward by the revived bilateral Defence Trade and Technology Initiative (DTTI).
"I will play an active role in expanding the DTTI, because it's the centerpiece of our defence partnership. As our interests align, so should our armed forces and defence systems," said Hagel.
But the U.S. will have to contend with Israel, even though it has now displaced the latter as the second-biggest arms supplier to India after Russia.